New Delhi3 hours ago
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Maruti Suzuki has today (June 4) introduced the first flex-fuel car in India, the Wagon-R Flex-Fuel. The new Wagon-R is capable of running completely on E85 fuel (up to 85% ethanol mixed petrol).
Currently, the vehicle will be available only to fleet operators and cab aggregators like Ola and Uber. For this reason, Maruti has not disclosed the prices of Wagon-R flex-fuel.
There is no change in the design of the car, but several mechanical updates have been made to make it compatible with E85 fuel, due to which it is expected that its price may be higher than the petrol and CNG versions.
Target to install 5000 ethanol pumps by 2027
On the occasion of the launch of the car, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that the government aims to install up to 5000 E85 fuel dispensing stations in the country by the end of 2027. “Initially we will have around 50 to 100 dispensing stations in Delhi-NCR and Mumbai-Pune-Nagpur corridor. This will be expanded to 500 stations by December this year,” Puri said. Along with this, the Union Minister also assured that the price of E85 fuel will be kept much lower than the current E20 petrol.
Production-spec model revealed for the first time
WagonR flex-fuel has been seen on several occasions before. It was first seen in the year 2022 and then in the Bharat Mobility Show in the year 2024. However, all the previous versions were mere prototypes (testing models), whereas the one introduced today is its production-spec (ready for production) model.
Exterior: Same boxy look as the regular model, ‘Flex Fuel’ badging
The overall design of the new Wagon-R Flex Fuel remains the same as the standard model, but some cosmetic changes have been made to give it a distinct identity. To differentiate this special variant from the regular model, the company has given ‘Flex Fuel’ graphics at various places on its body. There is also a small ‘Flex Fuel’ chrome badge installed on the tailgate.
- Front Profile: At the front, large size square halogen headlamps and a wide bonnet have been provided. There is a horizontal grille between the headlamps, which has a single chrome slat and honeycomb detailing, which gives it a more modern look than before. There is a large air dam on the front bumper and fog lamps are fitted between the black surrounds.
- Side Profile: From the side, the car’s traditional ‘boxy and tall-boy’ shape is visible. The car has large-sized windows, due to which the cabin feels quite spacious and airy from inside. It has 14-inch alloy wheels for smooth riding. Apart from this, a black insert has been used on the C-pillar of the car which gives it a trendy effect like ‘floating roof’.
- Rear Profile: The rear part of the car is quite flat and simple. There are large vertical taillamps with signature style. A groove (casting) has been made on the tailgate (door of the trunk) for placing the number plate, just above which a strip of chrome garnish has been given to give a premium look. Also, a black insert is available in the rear bumper.
Interior: Modern cabin with dual-tone theme
Like the exterior, the interior layout of the new Wagon-R Flex Fuel has also been kept the same as its standard model. However, to make the cabin more practical and comfortable, many special features have been provided in it.
- Dashboard and Theme: The car has a slightly raised dashboard, which gives good front visibility to the driver. To give a premium look to the cabin, it has been given a dual tone theme of black and beige color. There is a touchscreen infotainment system in the middle of the dashboard. There are vertical (vertically shaped) AC vents on both sides.
- Controls and Charging: Manual AC controls are provided below the infotainment system. There is also a charging port at the bottom and a 12-volt power socket to charge mobiles and other gadgets.
- Steering wheel and console: Audio and media control buttons (mounted controls) are found on the 3-spoke steering wheel. In front of it is an analog instrument cluster, which comes with a MID (Multi Information Display) screen, where important information related to the vehicle is visible.
- Sitting and Space: The cabin features narrow front seats with fixed headrests. Due to the tall-boy design, its rear seat is more spacious than other cars in this segment. There is no shortage of headroom and kneeroom even for tall passengers, which makes long journeys comfortable.
Features: 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system
The new Wagon-R Flex Fuel is a great and feature-loaded package. It has a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which supports wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It also has a 4-speaker sound system.
For connectivity, the system itself has inbuilt navigation facility. To keep the cabin cool, manual AC, audio controls on the steering itself (steering mounted controls) and power windows on all four doors are provided.
To make driving comfortable, tilt adjustable steering wheel and manual day/night IRVM has been provided. At the same time, electrically adjustable and power folding ORVMs are available.
Performance: 1.2-litre flex-fuel petrol engine
For performance, the Flex Fuel Wagon-R features a new 1.2-litre flex-fuel petrol engine, which is compatible with E85 ethanol blended fuel. This change has resulted in a slight difference in specifications, with the regular 1.2-litre petrol engine giving slightly more power and torque.
However, the company has not shared the numbers yet. Currently, a 5-speed manual gearbox will be provided with this engine.
Safety Features: Advanced features like 6 airbags and ESP
For safety, the car has features like 6 airbags, rear parking sensors, seatbelt reminder, speed sensitive door locks, Electronic Stability Program (ESP) to prevent the car from skidding and EBD with ABS for excellent braking, Hill Hold Assist (HHA) to prevent the car from rolling back on climbs.
